Clothes drier



Oct. 5 1926.

F. A. S. WOOD CLOTHES DRI ER 4 Y Y R E 0 O M@ Q 0 K NM d A C 0 m j Y 5 Filed 'May 9 1925 Patented Oct. 5, 1926.

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FRANK A. S. WOOD, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO IDEAL FILTER COM- PANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CLOTHES DRIER.

Application filed May 9,

My invention has relation to improvements in clothes driers and consists in the novel features of construction more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claim.

In the cleaning of clothes there are at present two methods of drying the cleaned clothes, oneof which consists merely :in hanging the clothes in a drying room through which heated air is passed, the other consisting in placing the clothes in what is called a tumbler through which heated air is also passed and which at the present is caused to rotate or oscillate so that the clothes will be tumbled about While being subjected to the dry air. The tumbling of the clothes while being dried accelerates the drying action and also is supposed to prevent undue shrinking. However, this tumbling action is harmful in that the buttons are often broken and frail garments damaged. 1 have sought to overcome these deleterious effects by providing a clothes drier wherein the clothes are supported on the usual hangers, the hangers in turn being suspended on an oscillating or reciprocatory bar which is caused to oscillate while the clothes are supported thereon and subjected to the currents of heated air passing through the drier. The object of the reciprocating bar is to impart to the clothes while they are being dried a shaking movement which causes a more rapid drying without the damaging effect of the tumbler heretofore mentioned. The shaking of the clothes during the drying operation has other advantages which will become better apparent a detailed description of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawing,

Referring to the drawings, C represents the drier casing composed vof an angle iron frame'l over. which the sheet iron sides 2, 2 and sheet iron back 3 are secured. A pair of doors 4, 4 are hinged to the frame 1 and constitute the front of the drier. The doors are provided with glass panels 5, 5 through which the clothes when in the drier may be 1925. Serial No. 29,177.

observed. The sides 2, back 3 and doors 4 all terminate a short distance above the bottom of the frame 1 so as to provide an open space 0 at the bottom of the drier for the admission of atmospheric air into the casing. Suitably supported within the casing contiguous to the opening 0 are a pair of steam coils 6 for heating the drier and over the steam coils in close proximity thereto is disposed a grille or screen 7 for a purpose presently to appear. A shaking bar 8 is supported within the casing C by a link 9 and a lever 10, each of which is'pivotally mounted between a pair of angle bars 11, 11 secured to the frame 1 in a central position at the top of the casing. An electric motor 12 is mounted on the top of the casing, as is also a reduction gear L3 driven by said motor through the medium of a belt 14:, said reduction gear being connected by a connecting link 15 to the lever 10 which also supports the shaking bar 8 at one end. There is also an exhauster 16 mounted on the top of the casing, said exhauster also being driven by the motor 12 through the medium of a belt 17. The amount of reduction in the reduction gear 13 is suflicient to impart to the shaking bar 8 a gentle oscillatory motion when the motor is running. The operation of my improved drier although readily apparentfrom the foregoing description may briefly be described as follows: p

Garments which have just been cleaned and are to be dried are placed on hangers H which are suspended from the shaking bar 8', a series of-perforations p being provided in the shaking bar for this purpose. After the shaking bar has been loaded, the doors 4, 4 are closed and the motor 12 put into; operation, it being assumed of course that there is steam in the coils 6. The shaking bar through the connections ust described will be caused to oscillate gently thereby shaking the clothes suspended therefrom while they are subjected to the action of the heated air exhausted through the easing by means of the exhauster 16. The perforations in the shaking bar are spaced sufliciently so that when the 'shakmg bar is fully loaded there will be no danger of the garments suspended therefrom from impinging on each other during the drying operation. Consequently every part of the garment will be exposed to the heated air which is passing through the casing, thus insuring the uniform drying of the garment. In addition to this uniform drying the shaking operation of the garment imparts to it a fiufliness that cannot be obtained when the garment is dried either Without shaking or in the usual tumbler. Furthermore, when garments are shaken while being subjected to the heated air they are dried more rapidly and also divested of any particle of dust or lint that may adhere to them, such particles then being carried out of the drier by the current of air passing therethrough. Another advantage of my improved drier over the tumbler drier is that garments of flimsy material may be dried simultaneously with others of heavier and more durable texture. It may also be mentioned that when garments are dried in the tumbler drier, they will obviously re quire more pressing due to the rough treatment they receive than will be necessary when they are dried in a stationary drier equipped with a shaking apparatus according to my invention.

It is obvious that a shaking apparatus capable of other movement than that herein specifically described is contemplated by my I invention and I do not wish to be restricted to the precise details set forth.

Having described my invention, I claim:

A drier comprising a casing having an air inlet at the bottbm and an outlet at the top thereof, an exhauster coupled'to said outlet, a heating element Within the casing and adjacent to the air inlet, a grille disposed above said heating element, a suitable support for the objects to be dried within said casing and near the bottom thereof and means for imparting movement to said support.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

FRANK A. S. WOOD. 

